Ball game played with mallets

ABSTRACT

A game includes a number of mallets for hitting a ball. Each of the mallets includes head members having a solid end portion for striking the ball and a hollow portion for receiving the struck ball.

United States Patent [191' Leumi [52] US. Cl. 273/118 R, 273/67 R, 273/127 B,

273/129 [51] Int. Cl. A63b 59/00, A63b 63/00 Field of Search 273/67 R, 167 R, 167 H,

273/168, 83, 56, 129, 96 R, 96 D, 101, 35, 32 F, 72 A, 67 A, 67 B, 67 C, 67 D, 67 DA, 67 DB, 67 DC, 167 A, 167 B, 167 C, 167 D,

167 E, 167 F, 167 G, 167 .1, 167 K, 181A, 119 R, 119 A, 127 R, 127 A, 127 B, 127 C,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,535 4/1869 Wilson 273/56 159,193 l/l875 Logan..,. 273/83 235,244 12/1880 Howe 1 1 145/36 412,647 10/1889 Morse 273/153 R 1,116,022 11/1914 Cornwall 1 273/67 C 1,685,826 10/1928 Radel 273/168 1,918,485 7/1933 Nelson 273/67 C 2,094,766 10/1937 Costello 273/96 R X- 1 1 June 4, 1974 2,542,100 2/1951 Sturm. Jr. 46/44 X 2,657,056 10/1953 Sorteberg 273/83 X 3,194,564 7/1965 Swan 273/168 X 3,226,120 12/1965 Borah 273/168 X D205,229 7/1966 Reed 273/167 C UX 3,392,977 7/1968 De Lacey 273/168 X 3,539,186 11/1970 Batten 273/67 R X 3,578,325 5/1971 Teas 273/168 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 713,954 7/1965 Canada 273/167 C 633,562 10/1927 France...... 145/36 55,837 6/1952 France 145/36 1,382,408 11/1964 France 145/36 639,707 6/1950 Great Britain 145/36 470,791 6/1914 France 273/96 R 471,264 9/1937 Great Britain 273/96 R 13,307 1904 Great Britain 273/168 592,719 2/1960 Canada 273/175 Primary Examiner-Ant0n O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward M. Farrell [57] ABSTRACT A game includes a number of mallets for hitting a ball. Each of the mallets includes head members having a solid end portion for striking the ball and a hollow portion for receiving the struck ball.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 4 mm 3.8 143130 F/QZ F/g 4 INVENTOR.

. DUBI A. LEUMI F793 BY ZW/WM ATTORNEY 1 BALL GAME PLAYED WITH MALLETS Games using wooden mallets for striking balls are well known. Such games are illustrated in US. Pats. to McCrea, No. 643,483, Cornwall No. 1,116,022 and Ascardi No. 3,017,186. Games involving clubs with cut-away portions for receiving golf balls therein to enable golfers to practice are shown in US. Pats. to Costello Nos. 1,877,820 and 2,094,766.

Certain games are played for amusement and not intended to provide excessive physical exertion. At the same time, many people prefer outdoor games which are competitive in nature but where only a limited amount of physical strength is required.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel lawn or field type of game involving the use of mallets in which one or more players may engage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel game involving the use of mallets and a ball in which persons may compete against each other and in which strenuous bending to retrieve the ball is not required.

In accordance with the present invention, a game makes use of a number of mallets each having a solid end for striking a ball. The other end-of each of the mallets includes a hollow portion for receiving the struck ball. A bottom cut-away portion of the mallet permits the ball to enter the hollow portion while the ball is still in contact with the ground.

Other objects and advantages of the present inven-,

tion will be apparent and suggest themselves to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification and claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of mallets and a ball in a game involving the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a mallet, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an end view taken along lines 44 of FIG.

Referring in particular to FIG. 1, a game embodying the present invention is illustrated. The game may be played on a lawn or other suitable playing surface, which may be level or otherwise. A pair of mallets l and 15 each include a similar type handle 12 and a head member 14 secured to the end of the handle.

Aball 16 may be struck by a player swinging the ma]- let and made to roll along the ground 11. The ball 16 is struck and directed by one player towards the mallet 15, which may be held upright by a second player. As will be described, each of the mallets l0 and 15 include head members 14 having a solid end surface for hitting the ball 16 and a hollow end for receiving the struck ball. The object of the game is for a player to strike the ball with one club into the hollow portion or end of the second club in a predetermined number of strokes, for example. A second player may hold the second mallet 15 in alignment with the ball being struck with the hollow end disposed to receive the struck ball if hit properly by the first player.

The game may be played by any number of players, with the player requiring the lowest number of strokes to hit the ball into the hollow portion winning the game. Alternatively, the player may try to predict the number of shots that it will take him to hit the ball into the other of the center. Because the handle 12 must extend into the head member, it is preferable that the hollow por' tion not extend to the area too close to the handle. The size of the open area receiving the ballis slightly larger than the ball 16 and may generally be shaped to the shape of the ball. In addition to being dimensioned to receive the ball 16, the bottom portion of the head member 14 includes a slightly elongated cut-away portion 23.

The cut-away portion 23 in the bottom of the mallet l4 permits the ball 16 to enter the hollow portion 20 without leaving the surface of the ground. For example, if only the circular opening were provided in the head member, without the bottom cut-away portion 23, an

obstruction would be presented to the ball 16. If the ball is moving at a relatively slow rate of speed, the slightest obstruction will tend to stop it and prevent the ball from entering into the hollow portion of the mallet. The cut-away bottom portion permits free movement of the ball, thereby enhancing the enjoyment of the ame.

The mallet including the head member and handle of the present invention may be made of wood, plastic or any other type of suitable material. If lightweight plastic is used, it may be desirable to add various elements of additional weight to give the players the right feel. The ball may be made of wood or like an ordinary golf ball.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a ball and a mallet for both projecting the ball along the ground when swung into engagement with the ball and acting as a target for capturing the ball when held stationary; said mallet comprising an elongated handle secured at one end centrally and perpendicularly to the long axis of a solid one piece elongated substantially cylindrical head member, said head member having a flat ball striking face perpendicular to said long axis at one end thereof and having the opposite end bored out inwardly through said opposite end and along said long axis to a depth substantially to the center of said head member with both the diameter of the bore and the depth of the bore being somewhat larger than the diameter of the ball whereby the mallet can be used either to strike the ball with the flat ball striking face to project it along the ground or to capture it totally within the bore when held stationary as a target.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom side of the head member, substantially opposite the handle, has an elongated cut-away portion extending through said bottom side up and into said bore, said cut-away portion including and extending from the open end to the greatest depth of said bore, the width of the cut-away portion being less than the diameter of said ball whereby the ball being projected along the ground may enter the bore to its full depth without leaving the surface of the ground. 

1. The combination of a ball and a mallet for both projecting the ball along the ground when swung into engagement with the ball and acting as a target for capturing the ball when held stationary; said mallet comprising an elongated handle secured at one end centrally and perpendicularly to the long axis of a solid one piece elongated substantially cylindrical head member, said head member having a flat ball striking face perpendicular to said long axis at one end thereof and having the opposite end bored out inwardly through said opposite end and along said long axis to a depth substantially to the center of said head member with both the diameter of the bore and the depth of the bore being somewhat larger than the diameter of the ball whereby the mallet can be used either to strike the ball with the flat ball striking face to project it along the ground or to capture it totally within the bore when held stationary as a target.
 2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bottom side of the head member, substantially opposite the handle, has an elongated cut-away portion extending through said bottom side up and into said bore, said cut-away portion including and extending from the open end to the greatest depth of said bore, the width of the cut-away portion being less than the diameter Of said ball whereby the ball being projected along the ground may enter the bore to its full depth without leaving the surface of the ground. 